Jackson State softball beats Florida A&M for first SWAC tournament title since 2011

The Jackson State softball team got hot at the right time, winning four straight games to capture the SWAC tournament, defeating Florida A&M 3-1 in the final Friday in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Jackson State (33-17) led 1-0 in the first inning with a triple by Mari Stephens, who scored on Jace Jackson's single.

"When we left here last year, and we knew we had to do something different," Jackson State coach Kevin Montgomery said. "We did something different by not losing a game. We knew we could not fight out of the loser's bracket."

JSU freshman Sofia Gonzalez pitched a complete game. The only time she was in trouble was when the bases were loaded in the second inning, and she struck out consecutive hitters to end the inning.

Sophomore Kristina Carlson was the offensive star, going 3-for-3 and driving in a run.

The most recent time Jackson State won the SWAC tournament was in 2011, when it defeated Prairie View A&M and Rick Fremin was the coach.

Jackson State's Victoria Salazar, Mari Stephens, Ka'Liyah Gipson, Julie Lopez and Jackson were named to the All-SWAC tournament team, with Jackson named the Most Valuable Player.

Jackson State will learn where it's going for the NCAA softball tournament during the selection show Sunday. The broadcast starts at 6 p.m. CT.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State softball wins first SWAC tournament title since 2011